Travel Block Wargame

ABSTRACT

A ‘Travel Block Wargame’ is the same size as, and also opens like, an average paperback. This allows for a board wargame to be played in any environment in which it would be possible for a person to read a book. To achieve this, each half of a ‘Travel Block Wargame’ game box has a rectangular grid holding a set of blocks in place, though individual blocks may be moved. Various icons are printed on the faces of each block. Some of these blocks are used to create two game boards while others are used as soldiers, markers, counters, charts, tables, chits or randomizers. A rules book and two reference cards are also required to play. At any point in a game, the game box may be closed for transport, with all blocks remaining in place, enabling a game to be continued later and in another location.

(1) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A board wargame is a game that involves counters or pieces moved orplaced on a pre-marked surface or ‘board’, according to a set of rules.Games can be based on pure strategy, chance (e.g. rolling dice) or amixture of the two, and usually have a goal that a player aims toachieve. Early board wargames represented a battle between two armies,and most current board wargames are still based on defeating opposingplayers in terms of counters, winning position or accrual of points(often expressed as in-game currency).

(2) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Due to the nature of the components, a board wargame is set up on alarge flat surface like a tabletop and cannot be moved for the durationof the game. The ‘Travel Block Wargame’ is a board wargame designed tobe played in any environment in which it would be possible for a personto read a book.

(3) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Drawings show the sequence of usage of the Travel Block Wargame.

FIG. 1: Top view of closed game box ready for opening.

FIG. 2: Top view of open game box ready for the rules book and the tworeference cards to be removed.

FIG. 3: Top view of open game box with the rules book and two referencecards removed ready for playing the game. Note the two grids and 96blocks in the interior of the game box.

FIG. 4: Top view of open game box with the rules book and two referencecards returned.

FIG. 5: Top view of closed game box ready for transport.

(4) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Components of a Standard Board Wargame (1 to 7):

(1) A storage box.

(2) A board.

(3) A rules book.

(4) One or more reference cards.

(5) A set of playing pieces with two informational faces.

(6) A deck of playing cards with one informational face.

(7) One or more dice.

These standard board wargame components are all present in the ‘TravelBlock Wargame’ but in a different format.

Components of the ‘Travel Block Wargame’ (a to e):

Specifications are from a hand-made master of a particular version ofthe game. Component text, material, dimensions and quantities may varydepending on the version of the game. Numbers in brackets refer to thestandard component equivalent as listed under ‘Standard Board WargameComponents’ above.

(a) One Storage Box (1)

-   -   Also used as part of the board (2).    -   Hinged and opens into two boards (like a book opened at the        middle page).    -   Made of thick card.    -   Dimensions of 8¼″ long by 6¼″ wide by 1⅜″ high.    -   Closes with a hook.

(b) Two Grids

-   -   Part of the board (2).    -   Both fit into the storage box.    -   Made of wood.    -   Dimensions of 8″ long by 5¼″ wide.    -   Dividing grid thickness of ¼″ wide by ¼″ high creating        depressions of ⅝″ long by ⅝″ wide by ¼″ high.    -   One grid of 6 by 9 boxes.    -   One grid of 6 by 7 boxes and a 4¾″ long by 1⅝″ wide area to        throw blocks into.

(c) Two Reference Cards (4)

-   -   Used as part of the game box as packing to hold blocks in place        when game box closed (1).    -   Made of thick card.    -   Dimensions of 7¾″ long by 5¾″ wide.

(d) Ninety-six Blocks

-   -   Each has a specific grid depression which it fits into.    -   Each has six informational faces.    -   51 used as part of the board (2)    -   19 as soldiers (5)    -   26 as markers and counters (5).    -   Charts and tables (3), chits (6) and randomizers (7)        incorporated into the board, soldiers, markers and counters        blocks.    -   Made of wood.    -   Dimensions of ½″ long by ½″ wide by ½″ high.    -   162 different icons (in different quantities) printed on the        faces of the blocks.

(e) One Rules Book (3)

-   -   Fits between the two reference cards when game box closed.    -   Made of paper.    -   Dimensions of 8″ long by 5½″ wide with 24 pages including thick        card rules cover.

Scope of the Protection of the Patent:

To protect the game parts and concept which create the compactness andtransportability of the ‘Travel Block Wargame’ as compared to the arearequired to set-up and also the immobility of a standard board wargame.

Subject Matter Regarded as the Invention:

1) The ‘Travel Block Wargame’ Game Box includes two boards and isconstructed out of the storage box, two grids, two reference cards andninety-six blocks, a standard game box is utilized for storage only anda standard board is printed on a large single sheet of paper or card. 2)The ‘Travel Block Wargame’ Grid creates a specific grid of depressionsinto which the blocks are placed, allows for handling of individualblocks and also ensures the positions of the blocks remain unchangedwhen the game box is closed for transport. 3) (canceled) 4) The ‘TravelBlock Wargame’ Blocks have six informational faces, a standard playingpiece has two informational faces and blocks are also rolled in the samemanner as a dice. 5) (canceled) 6) (canceled)